188. "We have been down together, "And wak'd.". The parenthesis, which Mr. Malone suggests, would indeed be necessary to reconcile the construction; but I think the poet had, manifestly, forgot the order in which the sentence ought to proceed. 189. "To fright them, ere destroy. But come in." This is lame. We might supply a word : 66 191. Sanctifies himself with's hand." I am inclined to think that "sanctifies" is used here, howsoever improperly, to signify only, gives him sanction, currency, authenticity, in the honour of shaking hands with him. 195. " SCENE VI. Of late. Hail, sir !" Hail to you both." A foot is wanting here. I would read: "Of late. Again Hail to you, sir !" 197. "Without assistance." k I think not so.” We should add do, or nay: Or 199. 204. I do think not so,' Nay, I think not so." Turns their countenances." Make them look pale, " blanches their cheeks." Obeys his points." Does as he appoints, or orders. 205." You and your cry.". Vide Act 3, P. 474. "Shall us to the Capitol?" This barbarism occurs in Cymbeline : "Shall us have a play of this?" "Unless, by using means, I lame the foot Of our design.". This is licentiously elliptical. "I cannot help it, unless by using means, (whereby I should) lame the foot," &c. 66 Some news is come "That turns their countenances." I suspect, the poet wrote soure news; the u and the r might be readily mistaken for an m. So banish'd: But he has a merit, "To choke it in the utterance." 208. I am inclined to think that "it," in this passage, refers to the sentence or decree of banishment; and that choke is used for destroy or cancel by counterbalance; the article "a," I think, should be removed: the six lines following appear utterly unintelligible. ACT V. SCENE I. 212. "It was a bare petition of the state." Bare, here, I believe, is naked, not covered or adorned with fitness or plausibility. 213. Unheard; what then?” Something appears to have been lost: perhaps, "Unheard; what then? How should I then appear ?" "But as a discontented friend, grief-shot "With his unkindness? Say't be so ?" Say't be so," I take to be an idle interpolation, and would use Brutus's words to complete the line: But yet your good will." What he would not, "Bound with an oath, to yield to his conditions." It is very difficult to reconcile the construction here, or to adapt a meaning to it. I believe that some words have been lost. 66 Whence are you? speak!" "To speak with Coriolanus." દ From whence ?" From Rome." Our general "IVill no more hear from thence." This hemistic might be repaired thus: "Will hear no more from Rome; so get you back." It is lots to blanks, "My name hath touch'd your ears." "Lots" is explained prizes; and if so, as Menenius argues, that the chances are in favour of his having been named by Coriolanus, we ought to read, "it is blanks to lots ;" but Mr. Steevens says, "lots to blanks" is equivalent to "all the world to nothing." Is it not the very reverse? SCENE III. Out, affection! "All bond and privilege of nature, break!" Thus in King Lear: "Crack nature's moulds, all germins spill at once, "That make ungrateful man.". 230. "The things, I have forsworn to grant.” i. e. Sworn not to grant. 232. " To poor we." We should be altered to us, in the text. 233. "Rather to show a noble grace to both parts." "Parts" would be sufficiently implied, if the measure were disburthened of the word. 234. bolt To charge thy sulphur with a "That should but rive an oak.". "Should," here, is put for would; according to a custom, common in our author's time, (and still prevailing in Ireland) of confounding the auxiliary verbs shall and will. The thought occurs in another place: "Merciful heaven! "Thou rather, with thy sharp and sulphurous bolt, Split'st the unwedgeable and knarled oak, "Than the soft myrtle." Measure for Measure. 234. "To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o'the air." In King Lear we find the same thought: "Blow winds, and crack your cheeks." 235. "To his surname Coriolanus 'longs more pride, "Than pity to our prayers.". Volumnia would here disclaim any share in her son's pride, which he does not derive from his nativity, but from his foreign addition. SCENE IV. 238. "He sits in his state, as a thing made for Alexander." It appears doubtful whether this means, he sits like a statue of Alexander, or, he is seated in a magnificence of state, resembling that of Alexander. Him I accuse, Hath enter'd," &c. No examples of similar mistakes should warrant the grossness of this being suffered to disgrace the text. "Him" should be changed to he, without remark. 245. "There was a yielding; This admits no excuse. "Excuse" might be compressed to accord with the metre, by the elision which is used in The Merchant of Venice: "That scuse serves many men to save their gifts." This play, the merits of which Dr. Johnson has no less justly than elegantly appreciated, is generally written in the true spirit of the author. END OF VOL. I. Wright, Printer, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell. |